Übertragungen

Zum Staats- und Familienroman der Modernen

Abstract

The longing for legitimacy always precedes the construction of any particular foundation of modern society. This essay examines the desire for theoretical foundations in its relation to the issue of legitimate origins. The individualistic configuration of the modern conception of legitimacy is determined by the concurrence of the individual’s problem of becoming a person and the question of how society is possible. Various performances of transfer are shown to be central to the modern discourse, Immanuel Kant’s philosophy of law and social philosophy. Emancipation, independence, self-determination, sovereignty – the essay suggests that modern reason is a construct of transfers.